A Fallen Shinobi
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: A wayward shinobi wakes in a field of flowers, with no memory of how he got there. Against his better judgement, he chooses to venture forward, rather than return. But life has a way of catching up to you and he can feel the weight of his past crawling on his back. The path lies before him. Pacifist? Genocide? Which will he choose? Only time will tell. Pairings undecided? Vote!
1. Fallen

**A/N: *EDIT***

**The trolls strike again.**

**Look at the reviews. I left them up. SEE them.**

**Congratulations. You've finally broken an old man's heart.**

***cries miserably***

**Well.**

**Not My Tale got absolutely shredded.**

**So here. Have your serious iteration. I don't care anymore.**

**...would you believe I only just now discovered the insanity that is Undertale?**

**0_0**

**Real quick, this is PRIME!Naruto we're dealing with. As in Sage of Six Paths Naruto. The one who fought-and convinced!-Sasuke at the Valley of the End. Meaning not much can hurt him if he's careful. No resets for him. One death and he's dead. Naturally his "level" and "HP" are in the upper digits, making him a right force to be reckoned with. Of course, this isn't going to be entirely serious; that'd spoil the fun. But it won't be quite as zany as Not My Tale, given that the trolls tried to burn that one to the ground. **

***Sigh***

**As ever, this'll be gone in two days if folks don't like it.**

**I own no quotes, references or any such thing.**

**Well. Here goes nothing.**

**Quote is a joke.**

_"Hehehe, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. Its always funny."_

_"You dare prank a prank master?! This means war!"_

_~?_

**Fall**

_Naruto woke in a field of flowers._

Consciousness came back to him in slow fits and spurts, like waking with his mind swaddled in cotton. Head aching, vision swimming in a searing sea of spiraling red, it was all he could do to breathe, much less think. For a terrifying moment he couldn't feel his arms or legs. Just pins and needles. The mere act of moving at all threatened to send him spinning back into the black, and he only fought on through sheer Determination. Sitting up already rendered him dizzy enough; trying to stand threatened to crack his skull wide open. But the blond was nothing if not stubborn, and thus, forced his way to his feet without so much as a second thought.

Mistake, that.

"Alright, where hell am I-BLEARGH!"

When he finally made it to his feet his stomach revolted with all the fury of a hurricane, sending what little remained of his last meal tumbling onto the flowers. Had someone yelped just now? No, surely that wasn't his imagination or anything. Flowers didn't talk. He hadn't thrown up on one. He certainly wasn't standing on one now either. No, certainly not! Not all! Not in the least! Said flower definitely wasn't plotting ways to get back at him for this, nope, surely not...

Stumbling away from the soiled field, he narrowly caught himself on a wall and violently disgorged the last of his lunch in a great choking gasp.

"Urgh," he groaned, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with a sleeve. "Did anybody get the number of that bus...?

**"Nope." **a familiar gravelly groan greeted the back of his mind.** "I've got nothing. Now I feel worse!"**

Almost made him smile, that did. "Well, at least I'm not suffering alone. You sound like shit."

_**"Brat."**_

"So...where are we?"

**"What am I, a map?"** came the lazy yawn. **"Look around!"**

His surroundings didn't offer much in the way of answers; until faint hint of dappled sunlight from above caught his eye. Baffled, the whiskered warrior looked up. Up. And up again. Oh. A pit. Looking closer, he glimpsed a scrap of orange fabric caught on an outcropping overhead. That offered a hint as to _how_ he'd gotten down here, but not why. He hadn't been anywhere near a pit, last he remember. The Valley of the End didn't _have _a pit like this, or if it did, he certainly didn't remember seeing one during the fight.

No, he didn't recall falling at all.

His last memory was of fighting Sasuke.

That final clash as their last attacks collided in a blaze of light and then-

_**ErRoRsTaTiCwHaTdIdIdOcAnNoTrEmEmBeRyEsYoUcAnMuRdErErWhAtHaVeiDoNeWhAtHaVeIdOnEiHaVeToEnDiTeNdItEnDit...?!  
**_

A fresh spike of agony stabbed through Naruto's skull before he could remember, causing him to clutch at his face and cry out in pain. So much blood. So much pain. Why couldn't he think straight? When he tried to think back the pain only grew worse, a horrible, terrible miasma that clouded his every thought until he finally had to stop, because if he didn't stop it was going to HURT-

**"Kid?!"**

"I'm...fine." the words tasted like ashes in his mouth as he staggered upright.

It would've been the simplest thing to just walk right up the walls and leave the way he'd came. He could do so at any time. His chakra reserves were already full to bursting; he was all but bleeding excess energy like a broken sieve. He felt...good. No, better than good. He could even destroy this entrance and make sure no one fell down here again. Yes. That would've been the smart thing to do. A sane man would've done just that and lent no further thought to the matter. And yet.

And YET.

After all he'd said and done in his life, Naruto couldn't really be called sane anymore now, could he?

"Wonder where that door leads." He mused, thumbing his chin.

Kurama growled in his head. **"Braaaaaaaaaat...!"**

He was walking towards it almost before he'd even gotten the last word out. Footsteps echoed hollowly in the underground chamber, offering naught but strained silence and Kurama's occasional grumble.

"Oh, c'mon." grinning, he dusted himself off and stepped into the arch.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

Everything. And yet, nothing.

The creatures they encountered within were puny, almost harmless by comparison. A few kind words and the occasional pat on the head sent most of them scurrying away; those who continued to pick a fight were simply met in a battle of Killer Intent, one they swiftly lost and subsequently fled from. He never raised so much as a hand against them. Why should he? They weren't a threat. Not at all. Some of them were downright cute, if he was entirely honest. He spared them all. Naruto had not, nor would he ever be, the sort to mindlessly kill others without thinking of the consequences.

Kurama certainly wasn't above scaring some of the bolder ones, though.

Now, the puzzles and traps...those were another matter.

At first, the former amused the pair, if only because they were rather easy to figure out. Press this switch. Move that rock. Avoid that obstacle. They were a novelty, one that took only a few minutes to solve and kept their respective minds on the task at hand. Therein lie the problem. With each room those seemingly harmless little puzzles became more and more complicated. Each were solved easily enough-and with a bit of grumbling on the part of a certain fox-but they weren't the true obstacle at hand.

_And then came the pitfalls._

The first came out of nowhere; one moment he was contentedly weaving his way through what he was beginning to refer to as the ruins, and the next, the floor just dropped away beneath him. Annoying and startling as that was, he'd climbed back to his starting position swiftly enough. Had that been the extent of his trials and tribulations he might've been willing to just brush it off and continue on. Alas, it was not to be. Every second step threatened to drop the ground out from under him; by the time he realized he had to follow a particular patter for this puzzle, he was at his wits ends.

Events became yet more baffling when one of the creatures actually dropped some sort of currency while fleeing from him.

Scarce had he reached down to grasp it then the world opened underneath his feet again.

"Another one?!" Naruto squawked! "Not again!"

**"That's the twelfth one now!"**

And so the journey continued.

Eventually he found himself before a house; by then he'd amassed a small fortune of sorts in discarded money. Alas, the same could not be said for his temper. Dirty and battered from countless unexpected falls, he was a hairsbreadth from doing something very foolish indeed before he finally cleared the final hurdle and reached said abode. All told, it t was a cozy little cottage of sorts, carved in strange stone. There was even a tree of sorts there in the yeard, though it looked blackened and dead. Not at all the sort he'd seen before.

"Think anyone's home?" he mused aloud as he glided toward the door.

**"Only one way to find out."** his partner prodded.

He had a point. "Here goes nothing."

Raising his right arm, he rapped the knuckles of said hand against what passed for the door. One. Two. Three. No response. Exasperated, he repeated the pattern, this time with perhaps a touch more force than was quite necessary. A tiny fracture etched itself across the door's stony facade. But no one came. By now a muscle was actively jumping in his jaw, pounding along a vein in his temple. So he tried once more. One last time. Seven. Eight. Nine. It was more an exercise in futility than anything else; he didn't really think anyone was going to answer-

To his surprise, he heard footsteps on the ninth.

"Sorry!" A muffled voice answered. "I'll be just a moment!"

Said surprise was only further magnified by the occupant who opened it.

"Yes, who is...it...?"

Naruto blinked.

Once.

Then thrice.

Nope. No dice.

It certainly wasn't a human that opened the door, and yet...one couldn't call them an animal, either.

Clad in a long purple robe with a strange rune of sorts stitched across her chest, she-for he could only assume this was a female judging by the slender shape of her body-resembled an anthropomorphic white goat with of sorts with droopy ears and short horns. Wide red eyes gazed back at him and he glimpsed a hint of fangs in her teeth as her mouth opened in a round "O" of surprise. She stared at him agog for a handful of seconds, just as surprised to see him as he was here. Neither moved. Neither breathed.

Then a paw-like hand flew to the woman's face and she took a small, hesitant step forward.

"Oh, my!" she cried. "You're a human, aren't you? How did you make it here on your own?! Are you alright? Are you hurt?!"

"No, I'm fine-Hey!" he yelped as she pressed a cloth to his cheek. "Really, I'm alright!"

"Nonsense!" her denouncement was instant. "Your face is covered in scratches!"

Kurama snickered. **"She's got you there."**

_'Oh, BITE ME you little furball!'_

Naruto was wholly and utterly at a loss for how to respond to this when she began to fuss over him as if he were a helpless child. He couldn't sense any ill intentions, much less killing intent of any sort; but still he found himself wholly at a loss for words in face of this sudden and abrupt reversal. Oddly enough, he had the strangest feeling that he should flee, that his presence here would ruin everything, put this kind stranger in danger or worse. Sheepishly, he scratched the back of his head. Nope. Just couldn't do it.

As such he said the very first thing that came to mind. "Yeah, I'm a little lost here...

Looking back, perhaps it was those words that would change everything.

For better or for worse, who could say? But change the world did.

The Underground would never be the same.

_And he was responsible for it._

**A/N: There we are. Hope you like it.**

**I'm waffling about including Frisk or Chara in this story.**

**I mean, I'd like to include them and all, buuuuuuuuut, well...its complicated.**

**So by all means, let me know your opinion in your reviews. Looking forward to hearing from you!**

**Frankly, if Naruto wanted, he could've just walked up the wall and left the way he came. But we know our boy's far too curious for his own good. He's not the sort to turn back unless that curiosity's satisfied. Now, do bear in mind, he's lost none of his power and packs quite the wallop. I'm fairly certain he'd outright punt Flowey for trying to manipulate him. Fortunately-or unfortunately, given your perspective-he didn't dare meddle in matters...yet.**

**All told, I'd say...five people could hurt Naruto in this story. ****We all know who they are, don't we?**

**No respawns for him, either. If he dies? BAM! Dead. Well, that about does it.**

**Reviews are love. Reviews are life. Reviews keep me alive. And sane.**

**So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas****...Review, Would You Kindly?**

** And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**Yes, one of them is Papyrus.**

**(Preview!)**

_"Lady, I'm flattered, really, but I'm no child..._

* * *

_"Eh? A talking...flower?"_

_"YOU STEPPED ON ME YOU ROTTEN BASTARD!"_

* * *

_"Come back here, human!"_

_"Leave me alone you crazy skeleton!"_

* * *

_"What's all this talk about a barrier? I mean, I could try breaking it for you?"_

_Undyne looked fit to strange him. "Why you little...?!"_

_"Hey! You could put an eye out with that!"_

_"HOLD! STILL! BRAT!"_

* * *

_"Ha! Got you!"_

**_*But It Had No Effect*_**

_"Uh-oh. That...that usually works."_

_"Sans. I'm going to give you a nine-second head start."_

_"Before what...?"_

_He drew up a handful of snow. "Before you have a BAD time."_

_"Hey! That's my line!"_

**_R&R! =D_**


	2. Lonely Heart

**A/N: *****EDIT***

**Do you believe me now?**

**Do you want me to cry that badly? Because I am.**

**Look at the reviews. DO YOU SEE THE TROLLS NOW?!**

**Just look at the reviews, they're making me tear my hair out.**

**Some people are saying I care to much about the trolls, and don't care. But. Their words. HURT!**

***EDIT*EDIT***

**Yes, its heavily implied that Naruto went bonkers above ground and threw himself into the first pit he could find to end it all. Surprise surprise, he survived and gave himself and Kurama selective amnesia. Hence the "static" we saw in the first chapter. I won't say what or why. Thar be spoilers. But since everyone seems to be so terribly concerned about it, yes, there will be a pairing in this story. Eventually. I'm not going to rush anything. Nope. Not at all. But it'll make you smile.**

**As ever, I own no media or references. I just like to play with words.**

**Reviews are eternal, Reviews are immortal. Reviews are precious.**

**So by all means, lemme know what you you think, eh?**

**Time skip of a few days ahead.**

_"I may not be all that bright, but I know people. You..._

_...you're suffering, aren't you? Can I help?"_

_"You really are a pure soul."_

_~?_

**Lonely Heart**

_"I'm gonna be honest, this is kinda embarrassing." _

"Another slice of butterscotch pie, my dear?"

Naruto perked up. "Yes, please~!"

**"Whipped."** Kurama groused.

_'I ain't turning down free food, ya louse!'_

Ordinarily such a retort might have riled brash blond; now, he just let it wash right off his back as he shoveled another spoonful of pie into his mouth. Chasing it down with a glass of orange juice was a fine way to start his day by any account; even a certain fox-who was not a morning person by any means of measure!-insisted on sniping at him. Just as well. More for him~!

**_"Aren't you sick of pie by now? Its been a week."_**

_'Look on the bright side! At least she isn't calling us her child anymore.'_

**"Fair enough!"** the kitsune riposted with sudden relief. **"Down the hatch!"**

Together they ate their meal in in comparative silence. Neither spoke for a time,

**"Are you really content with this?"**

Naruto tried to ignore the question. He really, truly did. To no avail. With that innocent inquiry, his appetite went sour and he rose from the table, the last of his breakfast forgotten. Tan hands went white-knuckled against the table and he felt the strangest compulsion to grab a knife and do...something. It horrified him, and vanished even as he wondered where that sudden fell impulse had come from.

"Are you unwell?" distantly, he was aware of Toriel staring at him.

"No, I'm fine." he feigned a smile he didn't quite feel. "Just going for a jog. I'll be back."

"Oh, I see." slightly crestfallen, she allowed him to go. "Take care. And do let me know if your headaches act up again."

Her pale hand lingered over his, patting his palm gently.

"Please, use the phone and call me if you need me."

Something in him crumbled.

...I will."

Toriel was a good host and her home was a friendly and comfortable enough in a quaint sort of way, but in the same vein, it also felt small somehow. Naruto felt like he was trespassing here, soiling some sort of sacred memory with his presence in her home. Perhaps he was. Once or twice he'd woken in the dead of night covered in a cold sweat, a half-forgotten name lurking on his lips. Then there were the migraines. They came and went at the oddest times; sometimes he would go an entire day without them, at others, they threatened to cripple him outright.

Then there were the more...supernatural happenings.

Occasionally-and much to his discomfort-he would glimpse the ghostly silhouette of a human child in a green sweater out of the corner of his eye. A girl, one who vanished whenever he tried to stare overlong. He'd even gone so far as using his cloak to try and find them once. There was certainly something here in this house, but whatever it was, it didn't feel malevolent. Just...watchful. Curious. As though it were waiting to see what he would do next. Try as he might, he didn't know what to make of her.

She'd waved to him, once.

Vaulting a ledge, he started forward, willing his body to resume its pace.

By now most of the monsters were friendly enough to him or avoided him outright. He hadn't exactly been subtle with his strength; he wouldn't be surprised if Toriel knew as much as the monsters he worked so hard to spare. Or perhaps that little ghost he'd spared-Napstablook?-earlier told her. Who knew? Regardless, he'd seen the way she looked at him. Not with concern, but...kindness. Though he'd told her some of his past, he had kept the rest of it back. She didn't judge him for keeping his secrets, and in turn, he didn't try to pry into her past. They had an understanding.

Almost made him smile, that did.

There was still the odd buzz of pain in the back of his head today, but for the most part he'd recovered the bulk of his strength in the last week. Had it really been that long? It didn't feel like it. He'd tried to content himself and be as good a guest as he could, and yet...and yet...he knew this couldn't last. The opening he'd come through had mysteriously "collapsed" when he went to visit it a second time; the gaping hole sealed in by strange vines and rubble. They could no longer go back the way that they came. A hole that big didn't simply close itself up by itself. Someone had deliberately plugged it.

Which in turn brought him to his next conundrum.

**"We can't stay here forever, you know."**

Naruto missed his step and accidentally slugged the wall.

_'We can't just leave without saying goodbye.'_ he argued pitifully.

It as a weak argument and Kurama instantly called him on it. **"Then say goodbye."**

"Kurama, _no."_ the words were a growl in his head. "Do _not._ Don't start this shit on me. Not here. Not now."

**"We. Cannot. Stay here."** his riposte was instant.** "Do you want to eat pie and read about snails for the rest of your life?"**

The jinchuuriki caught himself against the cratered wall. "You're being an ass. Tori took us into her home when we were lost and had nowhere else to go-

**"Oho! So its _Tori_ now, is it?"** his old friend bulled through that hesitation with a vicious snort. **"What's next? Gonna settle down with her and raise a bunch of half-breed babies?"**

"That's not fair, furball." Naruto hung his head.

**"Life isn't fair!"** the fox gnashed his teeth in response. **"Wake up! You heard that goat-woman when we tried to leave the first time! This Asgore, this so-called King of the Underground, needs a human soul to break the barrier down here. Our soul!"**

_"He won't get it."_

**"Maybe. Maybe not."** A spike of pain shot through his head. **"But who's to say he won't hurt _her _to get it?"**

A muscle jumped in his jaw. "You're being paranoid!"

**"I'm being REALISTIC, you dolt!"** just like that he found himself hauled away into his mind, brought face to face with his old-enemy-turned-friend. **"We don't know this place!"** A towering red eye loomed before him in their shared thoughts. **"They don't know us! You can't expect another miracle like the last one! Fate isn't that kind! What do you have to gain by wasting away down here? What are you so afraid of? What's making you act like this?**

...nothing."

**"You can't just hide here because you're afraid of whatever you can't remember!"**

A hand snapped up and seized him by the snout, and Kurama immediately realized he'd pushed too far.

"She's been here by herself for years." blue eyes blazed up at him. "You heard her. If we leave, there'll be no going back. We'll break her heart."

**"Its not ours to break."**

Wasn't it?

His legs started carrying him forward, seemingly of their own volition.

"She'll try to stop us." he warned. "You know she won't stand by."

Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard laughter.

**"She can't." **Kurama scoffed at his benign concern.

Naruto groaned. "That's what worries me."

* * *

_(...0o0o0...)_

* * *

Sure enough, she did just that.

It began innocently enough; Naruto approached her and asked if there was another exit, another way out. He already knew the answer; it was rather difficult to miss the stairs leading deeper down into the ruins. Tori had gone out of her way to keep them away from that, and for the first week he'd shrugged it off. No longer. Now, he asked her.

And she lied.

He read it in the slight twitch of her face, the nearly imperceptible widening of her eyes as she realized what he was asking. A glimmer of fear. Not for herself. But for him. After that she excused herself, claiming she had something to do, errands to run or somesuch. Another lie. It was simply enough to follow her, to realize what she was doing. If there was a passage leading deeper into the ruins, then that meant the only way out of it all was through. And if there was only one entrance down here, only one exit, and if that exit were to be destroyed...

Sure enough, he found Toriel waiting for him at the door.

She blocked the way, flames in hand. What kind of jutsu was that? Was it a jutsu at all?

He could feel the heat from here, a miserable and muggy thing that bespoke of equal parts silence and misery.

Right. Act first. No fighting. Maybe they could still talk this out.

"I don't want to fight you, Tori."

She didn't turn to face him, didn't deign to speak to him, didn't even acknowledge his existence. In the ensuing silence, Naruto felt his temper begin to fray. It would be so easy to just brush her aside. Like an ant. He was stronger than her. Faster than her. Even in a narrow corridor such as this, if it came to a fight, he could beat her; of that much he was fairly certain. Perhaps even kill-NO! Where had that thought come from?! That wasn't him! That wasn't him at all! What had gotten into him there? Yes, he wasn't in the best mood at the moment, but he shouldn't think this way. Feel this way. _Be this way._

**"Maybe we should-**

**_"N.O."_** In his mind, Naruto clamped a hand down on Kurama's muzzle to silence him. "You don't get to talk here. I'm already furious with you."

**"Geez, way to assert dominance for the first time in your life, kiddo. Fine, fine, call me when you need me...**

"Go take a nap!"

Exasperated, he dragged himself back to the real world, and not a moment too soon.

After a long moment of silence, Toriel extinguished the fireballs in her palms and reluctantly turned to face him. Naruto released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. That hope died when she raised her gaze and he saw the tears lingering there. Pleading amber eyes met his and despite the resolve he'd mustered, the young man flinched.

He'd thought himself prepared for this. He wasn't. Not at all. Not in the least.

"I know I cannot stop you, my friend." she began softly, and the words struck him like a slap in the face, more painful than any blow. "I lack the power and the will. And," the words lodged in her throat and she swallowed painfully, choking on them like razors in her throat. "I know I have no right to ask this of you, but...

She shook her head and the tears spilled over.

_...please don't go."_

He turned away. "I have to."

"No! You don't!" she clasped her hands fretfully before her chest. "You could stay here! With me!"

Had she gone back to thinking of him as a child again? "Tori, I'm not some kid-

"I don't think of you as a child!"

"Eh?"

"Its true in the beginning, I might have been confused, but!" Her voice rang with desperate resolve as she dared a step forward. "I care about _you! _You're a good person! A strong human! There's nothing wrong with that! But when I think what Asgore and the Royal Guard will do to you, the horrors they'll inflict to get your SOUL," renewed tears gathered in her eyes. "It makes my heart hurt! So please! Don't go!"

"..."

"For too long I've watched human children fall down here and race off to their deaths!" sensing his confusion she hastened to add, "They never lingered, never stayed. And when you arrived...you didn't even try to find a way out. You stayed longer than the others. Not as a child, but a friend! A partner! Someone who knows what its like to be alone! You gave me hope! So...if you must go...

The flames reignited in her hands.

...then I will stop you!"

Naruto opened his mouth to argue further, to say that this wasn't necessary.

And his world burst into a wave of fire.

Dropping flat to the ground, he scythed his legs and leaped up again, leaving the heat wave to crash harmlessly against the wall behind him to no effect. The second wave found itself intercepted by a giant golden hand, extinguished before they could even draw close.

"Stop it!" He cried! "I'm not going to fight you, damnitall!"

"Then run away! That's all you ever seem to do!"

Another rush came, and he tried to leap away.

Something caught his foot, tripping him up. He had all of half a second to glimpse what might have been a flower in his peripheral vision-and the vines now tangling his feet- before another volley found him. This time, he was a hair too slow. A stray shot scraped his cheek as he tore his feet free, yet pain thundered in his chest instead.

"The hell?! I wasn't even hit there! So why did my-

Caught off guard, he tumbled into a fresh blast. Again, the pain nearly crippled him, a spiking. It didn't make any sense. Yes, a few stray shots had struck his shoulder, but that didn't explain the absolute agony radiating from his heart like a live wire.

**"You can't get past her if you don't attack her!"** Kurama snapped back to life with a growl. **"What did you even do?! I was out for five minutes and I come back to this?! Attack already!"**

"I can't!" he grimaced, bounding over another line of scorching spheres. "It might kill her!"

**"Are you willing to die for someone you barely know?!"**

He misjudged the pattern and got scorched for it.

Naruto sucked in a ragged breath and stood woodenly on his feet; swaying like a puppet without strings. He already knew his answer. He wouldn't fight this battle. He couldn't. Whatever was wrong with him, he couldn't trust himself to stop once he started. So he wouldn't fight this time. Even if it hurt him. Even if he was mocked for it. Even if he wound up being maimed.

"Are you mocking me?!" Toriel cried! "Fight or run away!

**"Damnit, brat! Dodge!"**

Naruto didn't; instead he grit his teeth, lowered his shoulder and barreled through the wall of flame like a linebacker. Pain snarled through his chest and shot down his spine, but he didn't slow. He dare not. To stop now was to risk oblivion. So he would not. So he pushed through. There was nowhere else to go. He took the pain and shoved it aside. Then he was through, charging headlong towards her. Another fire blast crashed wide to the side as he tumbled out of the way; a third didn't so much as singe his hair at all.

"Why won't you stop?!" she wailed! "I don't want to hurt you! Just go upstairs! Please!"

Still he advanced.

It wasn't even necessary to dodge the attacks anymore; her magic-at least he assumed that's what it was-swung wide as she staggered forward, actively missing him. Good. His chest freaking _hurt _after taking that many hits. Her patterns had proven more difficult to dodge than he'd anticipated. Still, he was alive. And moving forward. Only a few yards now. Feet. Inches. With each step her assault grew more erratic, blasts of fire swerving wide to the side as he stubbornly limped close, closer, closest.

"I'm not going anywhere...until we talk."

Then it was over and quite suddenly he was_ there._

The flames guttered and died in her palms like candles in the wind.

Gasping, sobbing, Toriel tumbled to her knees, all the fight fleeing from her body.

"Please," she turned her gaze up at him, "Stay. I'm begging you. Don't leave. I don't know what else to say."

He lurched forward to meet her; in hindsight he wasn't entirely sure who moved first, only that someone did. Trembling arms closed around him as his chin came to rest against her shoulder. He stiffened, wounds offering a sharp bleating protest, but he returned the embrace regardless. Even here in his weakened state, he could've easily broken free from her. His wounds were already beginning to heal. But he didn't try to escape. Instead he simply allowed himself to be held, let the tears roll down and spill into his jacket as she nuzzled his face. Its was certainly well within his power to break away.

Instead he simply knelt.

Neither dared to speak a word.

They just...held onto one another.

Until finally-finally!-one of them found their voice.

"I know what its like to be alone." Naruto's tongue felt heavy in his mouth, weighted with as much guilt as sorry. "But you don't have to be."

As he struggled haltingly for words to say, an idea struck him. It was such a simple notion that he hadn't thought of it before. Frankly, it was more than a little embarrassing. If he'd just stopped to think, then he could've avoided a great deal of pain and suffering on his part. Even now he felt like smacking himself. Really!

"I'm an idiot."

Toriel blinked against him. "Pardon?"

Crossing his fingers, the brash blond summoned a clone.

"Don't worry, I supercharged this guy here. He's got enough chakra for a few months, as long as he doesn't pick a fight with anyone. If you don't want to leave, if you _can't _leave, if you're afraid that there might be other people wandering in the ruins, then I can at least leave someone here to stay with you." When she didn't answer, he dared to bull on ahead. "So you won't get...lonely..._why are you crying again?!"_

...you really are a pure soul." the young man jolted as he kissed him soundly on the lips.

"Was it something I said?" he tilted his head, utterly baffled.

Somehow that made Toriel laugh and cry all the more.

In the end, he could only flail helplessly.

_"What did I do?!"_

**A/N: Ah, Naruto.**

**Aaaaaaaaaand there we go!**

**Kurama, you're really paranoid, buddy...**

**First area clear with zero casualties...unless you count Naruto's sanity.**

**Something's clearly wrong with him, but I won't say what. Chara isn't to blame for it.**

**A lot of you have been pointing out that Naruto does in fact have Determination, just not the traditional form of it.**

**After all, he's got so much willpower that he literally came BACK after his heart stopped. Among other feats that are downright impossible.**

**So lets retool the explanation. He doesn't know HOW to use Saves or Resets. No one's there to show him. He might learn how to use them. He might not. That depends entirely on you, the reader. Tell me how you feel about that in your review. As it stands. At this point in the given story, he can and will die if someone hurts him enough. And lets face it, even if he knew "how" to reset, why would he? Our boy's stubborn and not the sort to abuse that kind of power without a good reason.**

**On that note, ****I'm still waffling about including Frisk or Chara in this story.**

**TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL ME! I need to know or I can't write the third chapter!**

**So by all means, let me know your opinion in your reviews. Looking forward to hearing from you!**

**Reviews are eternal. Reviews are Immortal. Reviews are precious to me.**

**Sooooo...in the Immortal Words of Atlas****...Review, Would You Kindly?**

** And of course, enjoy the previews, rich and varied as they are!**

**Undyne's coming. ****I've got something planned for her.**

**She does love anime after all...**

**(Preview!)**

_"So. You and Toriel, huh? Didn't see that coming."_

_The silence soon proved telling between the two of them._

_Still, he prodded him. "Guess you've got a bone to pick with me, huh?"_

_"Sans, I will harm you."_

* * *

_"I have not, nor will I ever, take a life. I won't. No! I refuse!"_

_"We'll see if you keep that promise kid. If you break it...**you're gonna have a bad time."**_

* * *

_"What was it you said? An eye for an eye?"_

_As she looked on in mute horror, he raised a knife to his left side of his face._

_"What the hell are you doing, idiot?" Undyne balked, not yet understanding his intention._

_He gave her his answer a heartbeat later as his arm cocked back. "I'm proving my point to you."_

_Realization dawned and she blitzed him. "Nooooooonononostopidiothaveyoulostyourmindyoucrazyhuman?!"_

**_R&R! =D_**


	3. Ghosts of the Past (Interlude)

**A/N: Sorry, this is short.**

**I'm not feeling at that well at the moment, but darnit, I said I'd update this today. ****Ask and ye shall receive. Folks wanted an update, so here we are.**

**Well, well, well! ****Though I was gone now, did you? I've kept you waiting. Sorry for that. ****Funny thing, there. I really did vanish for awhile, for reasons I had no power over. Health issues and my illness kept me away. ****I also maaaaay have almost died a few months ago, but that's in the past. Health related issues, stitches, wires in my veins, that sort of thing. Nothing too serious. ****Now, then!**

**Do I miss writing as much as I used to? Yes, I do. But I'm healthier for it, and happier as a result.**

**You know, it used to be I'd devote all my free time to this site. Nearly every waking moment that didn't involve work-two jobs and whatnot-was spent at the ol' keyboard. It wasn't healthy; for me, my life, nor those I loved. In the end, I had to step back and reevaluate both my life and myself. Daily updates were murder to do, and my stories suffered as a result. While I still write here, I've found other reasons for which to live, not to slavishly focus every second of my life on this site. Feels liberating. **

**On another note, updates for everything have been shifted to weekly, bi-weekly, and-or monthly. Daily posts are a thing of the past, I'm afraid. **

**In any case, the reviews/votes have been tallied in regards to Frisk and Chara. ****You'll see the result in this chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

**As a whole, Undertale is just amusing to write, even if the fandom is sometimes a touch...enthusiastic in voicing their opinions. Stories like these can be light, serious, or silly; but in the same vein it can get dark real quick. Suppose that suits my writing style. In any case, this is one of the few stories I write without a team these days, so I find that I can devote more time to it.**

**In case it isn't obvious, we're stil heavily implying that Naruto has selective amnesia...**

**...now then, how should I put this? Trust me when I say, welll...**

**...you don't want those memories to come back.**

_"Why did you spare her?"_

_~?_

**Ghosts of the Past (Interlude)**

_"Do you have everything you need?"_

"Tori, that's not gonna fit. There's no bloody room!"

"Nonsense. Now hold still and just let me put this in here...

Naruto laughed and forbade to roll his eyes as he adjusted his backpack for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning. There was no malice behind the gesture; if anything, he was in high spirits. But if Toriel tried to cram anything else into this damn thing he knew, it was going to burst. He could already feel the worn fabric stretched out against his back, narrowly bound together by firm stitches and threads. His mind conjured up an explosion, imagining its contents scattered across the snow the moment he stepped outside.

It almost brought a bittersweet smile to his face. Almost.

Still, he allowed Toriel to fuss over him one last time as he marshaled his thoughts and gazed up at the great door before him.

So.

This was it, then.

He was finally leaving.

**"Having second thoughts?"**

_Very much so!_ Naruto wanted to shout, but held his tongue.

Toriel was nothing if not consistent; she'd made good on her promise to outfit for the journey and more. Clad in a warm winter outfit in place of his ruined rags -by the log, she'd even stitched them in his favorite colors at that!- and with a heavy pack slung over his shoulders, he was ready as he would ever be. It felt...nice. She'd even gone so far as to knit him a sweater. An _orange_ sweater. Best girl ever. Must protect.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" she'd asked him that three times now, yet he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her. "You don't have to do this, you know. You're taking a great risk...oh." he blinked when she hugged him abruptly. "We're doing this again, huh? C'mon, there's nothing to worry about! I'll be fine!"

"That's what worries me. You'll call if something comes up, won't you?"

"Yes, _mom."_ he rolled his eyes with a good-natured sigh. "I'll be on my best behavior."

She swatted him on the nose for that, but when she pulled away, the concern in her eyes was almost too painful to bear.

It hurt Naruto more than he was willing to admit. How could he tell her _he_ was the real danger here? He could level everything if he wanted to. Not that he would.

That aside, matters with Toriel were...complicated for the time being. He wasn't rightly sure what to think of her, much less that kiss. Neither had spoke of it, and he expected they wouldn't until this mess was over. Still, she'd given him a strange device that she called a "phone" and he'd promised to call. How you could communicate over great distance with such a small box baffled him, but beggars couldn't be choosers. For reasons he didn't understand, she'd chosen to remain within the ruins for the time being, but that was another matter best left unspoken for now. They'd sort this out. Together. But for now...

"I'm off." he muttered, looking down at his feet.

She favored him with a small smile. "Have a safe trip."

"I'll be back." it felt like he should say that, at the very least. He owed her that much.

"I know." her reply caused his head to snap up, but she spun him around -quickly!- before he could see her smile.

When the doors opened, she pushed him through. Not a shove, little more than a nudge really, enough to send him stumbling three steps forward. Cold air hit his lungs and he gasped at it, as much as the snow awaiting him beyond. Not just the snow, but the trees, rising high on either side of the path. His breath bloomed in a sudden rush of heat. Cold. He hadn't expected the cold. The scenery was idyllic, almost peaceful even. Looking back, he wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it hadn't been this. It startled him for a moment, distracting him from what might have otherwise been.

"Be safe."

He rounded on Toriel. "I...

The door closed in his face -on her smile- and cut him off.

**"Not your finest moment."** Ouch. Ruthless as ever there, old friend.

Naruto blew out an exasperated breath and kicked at the snow once before setting off. "Oh, bugger off."

Snow crunched heartily beneath his boots as he walked. A rich plume of steam rolled froth from his mouth when he breathed, fogging the air before them, but he barely noticed. Toriel's coat did its job and then some; not only did it keen him safe and warm but it caused his thoughts to drift down a more pleasant avenue. Warm and content, he continued his journey. He knew the way in theory; he'd been told by Toriel to keep walking until someone named Sand stopped him. He also knew there would be a barrier at the end of his long journey.

For some reason, the thought of it drew a grim smile from him.

He'd broken barriers time and time again in his career; this one would be no different. He could do this. So long as he stuck to his guns and kept a weather eye out for tricks, he would see the light at the end of the tunnel and everything would go back to normal. Monsters? Fighting? Genocide? Ha! As if he'd do such a thing! He feared nothing!

_"Why?"_

The blond turned as a voice whispered in his ear, only to find empty air.

"Did you say something?" he asked Kurama, a small frown plucking at his mouth.

**"Hmm? Whuzzat?"** His old ally uttered a jaw-popping yawn. **"Nope. Must've been your imagination."**

"Maybe...?"

Shrugging at that strange mishap, he hastened onward once more. Was it just his imagination, or did the trees seem...darker somehow? Those great looming oaks seemed to tower over him now as he sauntered forward, branches stretching toward them like long, grasping fingers. Naruto shook his head, dismissed it as paranoia, and marched on down the path.

**"So we're really not gonna fight anyone."** Kurama deadpanned. **"At all."**

"Nope." Naruto jammed both hands into his coat and shook his head. "Don't see much point in it."

**"That's a good way to get rusty."** the old fox grumbled back. **"You know that. Or are you just afraid of dirtying your hands?"**

"Pretty much." Naruto fought down a flinch and forced himself to smile instead. "Why pick a fight when we don't need to? We can speedrun this, easily."

_"What's a speedrun?"_

Naruto paused, frowned, and risk a glance over his shoulder. Huh. Just now, he could've sworn someone had spoken; that it felt like someone was watching them. But that was impossible. He didn't seen anyone, and he certainly couldn't sense anything. His abilities hadn't degraded in the least -he could still sense all living things- so there was no possible excuse to be made on that front. If someone were following them, he would've noticed. And yet this eerie feeling persisted. He hastened his pace just a touch more, walking on in stoic silence. Still the trees pressed in around him.

**"Don't be such as scaredy cat. You're clearly out of sorts if you're hearing voices."**

Though his first instinct was to lash out, Naruto held his tongue. Was that it, then? Was he imagining it all? Or had he simply cracked? He felt the beginnings of a migraine coming on again, and his good mood gradually began to evaporate with it. His shoulders hunched as his tension began to mount. Static flashed across his vision and the world burned red. He scowled and blinked it away, only for the haze to rush in again. _Stop. Calm down. You're jumping at shadows... _

_"Why did you spare her?"_

Nope! Not hearing this! Lalalalalala! Fingers in his ears!

He walked on in silence for a goodly ten seconds before the voice came on again.

_"TELL ME WHY!"_

If the last few words had been a whisper? This? This was a SHOUT.

"Alright, what the hell?!" Naruto missed a step and stumbled half a pace, ears ringing like a bell. A bead of cold sweat ran the length of his brow as the hackles on the back of his neck rose. "I didn't imagine that! Kurama? Was that you or not?! Stop screwing with me!"

**"Do I sound like a child to you?!" **this time, there could be no mistaking the note of dread there. **"Of course that wasn't me! Turn around!"**

"I don't wanna!" he cried inwardly.

**"Just do it!"**

Mastering his fear lest he lose himself to it completely, Naruto spun around; moving with such force that he felt something physically _pop_ in his neck. He'd definitely heard a voice just now, one that didn't belong to his old friend. There were no tracks behind him, no monster crept up in his shadow, no looming figure to fear.

Instead he found himself looking down, gazing at a...girl? At least, he assumed it was a girl, given that she was a good bit shorter than him.

Clad in a dirty green sweater bearing a single yellow stripe alongside a pair of dirty brown pants, the child regarded him. Furious red eyes framed by rosy cheeks and a messy mop of brown hair, she was little more than a wisp of a girl, both literally and figuratively alike. The reason was quite obvious. She was glaring bloody red daggers at him.

Naruto looked left.

Naruto looked right.

Naruto shook his head.

_Look again!_ his brain yelped!

_ We are!_ his eyes wailed back! _She's real! _

No matter how much the fallen shinobi might want to deny it, he knew his eyes hadn't betrayed him. He could see right through this little slip of a girl to the trees behind her. Ironic, given that she was floating a good six inches off the ground. As he looked on in quiet dismay, she planted both hands on her hips and absolutely hissed at him. Wait. He knew this girl! He'd seen her in Toriel's house! He'd thought he'd imagine her, but no

_"Well?!" _she growled._ "Are you going to answer me or not?!"_

**"Bugger me."** Kurama croaked. Naruto agreed wholeheartedly with that assessment.

Transparent, floating, a voice that only he could hear...yup. There was only one logical explanation.

"Ghost?!"

_"I'm not a ghost! I'm Chara!"_

"That doesn't help!" he shouted back, arms flailing! "Where did you come from?!"

_"I'm asking the questions here, mister!_" said apparition leaned closer, heedless of his disbelief._ "You're a human. But you spared my mom." _a soft, almost questioning note softened her voice._ "You could've killed her, but you didn't. Humans kill monsters. But you didn't kill her. I wanna know why! Tell me!"_

Naruto leaned back, eyes rolling in his head. "Your...mother...?"

_"Did I stutter?!"_

Intense and irrational fear of ghosts aside, Naruto couldn't bring himself to run away. Something told him that would be a bad idea. A terrible, horrible idea. Against his better judgement he felt pity for this small creature shouting at him. She was just a kid. Ghostly perhaps, but now that he'd calmed down, he could clearly see she was harmless. Or at the very least, she appeared to be. In hindsight, he couldn't really be blamed for what happened next. It wasn't his fault. Nope. Not at all. He was completely and utterly blameless in this.

With a weak smile, Chara offered her his hand.

_"Wanna talk about it?"_

**A/N: Ah, Naruto.**

**That's right ladies and gentlemen! Chara -or rather, her ghost- is finally here!**

**Only our orange idiot would try to befriend a ghost. Time will tell if he's a positive ****influence...oh please, we both know they're going to cause chaos. ****So by all means, let me know your opinion in your reviews. Looking forward to hearing from you! ****Reviews are eternal. Reviews are Immortal. Reviews are precious to me.**

**Sooooo...in the Immortal Words of Atlas****...Review, Would You Kindly?**

**No previews! I've got bit plans coming!**

**Alright, just one...**

**...or two~!**

**(Preview!)**

_"Shake my hand."  
_

_PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT._

_"You dare to prank the prank master?!"_

* * *

_"You could kill them all! Rule everything!"_

* * *

_"They can't see you."_

_Chara's little head bobbed._

_"But you can interact with the world."  
_

_Another nod, slower this time. More uncertain._

_Naruto's smile reminded her of a trickster fox. "Lets have some fun, eh?"_

* * *

_"HUMAN?! What have you done to my spaghetti?!"_

_"Made it better. Its called ramen."_

_It was super effective._

_Papyrus fainted._

**_R&R! =D_**


End file.
